Jason Whitlock is one of the most well-known American journalists and sports analysts. He is known for not being afraid to speak his mind about athletes, and even his peers in the journalism world.
Another one of the biggest names in the sports broadcasting world is Stephen A. Smith. He is a host on ESPN and often says ludicrous things to drive traffic to ESPN. In 2023, Smith came out with a book titled “Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes.”
On Wednesday, Jason Whitlock appeared on “The Sage Steele Show” and criticized Smith for how he spoke about his father in his book compared to how he used to speak about his father earlier in his journalism career.
“The way he went after his father in his book, as opposed to what he used to say about his father in interviews,” Jason Whitlock said (Timestamp 12:05). “You can go look up in the late 1990s, early 2000s what Stephen A. would say about his father. No criticism at all, mostly praise of his father. Certainly no criticism. Then he comes out with this book and basically says he had an absentee father, and he can’t stand his father, and it’s all about his mother.
“That’s trying to put Stephen A. in the feminist lane, in the support of the matriarchy lane. I don’t know if it’s true or not. I have looked at previous interviews from the late 1990s and early 2000s. He had a completely different narrative about his dad than he does now. And so, everything about Stephen A., from his college basketball career to his early career as a sports journalist, it’s all been managed and assisted.”
Jason Whitlock Questions Whether Stephen A. Smith Is Authentic
Jason Whitlock went on to question Stephen A. Smith’s authenticity. He admitted that he was probably authentic early in his career, but he no longer thinks that is the case. Instead, he believes Smith is willing to do and say whatever it takes to stay relevant in the sports world.
There is no denying that what Smith says on TV is often controversial. While clips of his takes on “First Take” often go viral, it is not usually because people agree with him. Online fans are typically very critical of him and do not like what he has done to the culture of sports broadcasting over the past 20 years.
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